Americans with Disabilities Paratransit Service

As required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, this service provides paratransit service to individuals with an eligible disability traveling within the public bus service areas of Westmoreland County.

The paratransit service will be provided to all individuals certified as eligible, from origins and destination within 3/4 mile corridors of existing bus routes.​

GO Westmoreland will make reasonable modifications to our policies, practices, and procedures to ensure program accessibility. ​

GO Westmoreland does not provide service on the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.​

Application Information

Applications are available by contacting GO Westmoreland Customer Service or by accessing an application on the Westmoreland County Transit Authority (WCTA) website: https://www.westmorelandtransit.com/go-westmoreland/ada-complementary-paratransit/. A brochure explaining the service provided is included with the application.

​

Completed applications should be returned to GO Westmoreland. All applications are logged in a spreadsheet upon receipt by a GO Westmoreland representative. The date the application is received is included in the spreadsheet. An independent consultant pre-schedules visits to review applications. The consultant is on-site at GO Westmoreland at least twice a month to review and make recommendations to GO Westmoreland on eligibility. The Paratransit Service Manager schedules the on-site visits with the consultant to make timely eligibility decisions. It may take up to 21 days for an application to be reviewed by the consultant and for a decision to be made on eligibility by a GO Westmoreland representative. By tracking the day the application was received, this allows for timely decision making within 21 days. If an application is not processed within 21 days, the applicant will be given presumptive eligibility on the 22nd day until eligibility determination is made.

After the eligibility determination has been made, the applicant will be contacted with the results of the eligibility determination in writing via US Mail.

If the applicant is denied eligibility, the determination letter will state the reasons for the finding.

Determination letters issued by GO Westmoreland will include specific reasons for denial, conditional, or temporary eligibility in specific enough detail to permit the applicant to prepare for an appeal, if desired.

Individuals who have been determined ineligible, conditionally or temporarily eligiblehave the right to appeal the limitations based on their ADA eligibility. The right to appealis explained in the determination letter. Applicants are required to make arequest for an appeal in writing, but do not have to provide any additional writteninformation if they choose not to.

If an applicant wishes to appeal the decision of GO Westmoreland regarding ineligibility,they should file a written appeal within sixty (60) days after the determination ofineligibility.

An appeal hearing will be scheduled within thirty (30) days of receiving an appeal and all parties will be notified in writing of such hearing. The Appeals Officer will be the Executive Director. GO Westmoreland may consult with the independent consultant during this time.

Transportation will not be provided by GO Westmoreland during the appeal process. Theindividual making the appeal will become temporarily eligible for service if a decision hasnot been made within thirty (30) days of the completion of the appeals process.Reservations for these trips are to be made according to the normal procedures. Eligibilitywill end if the appeal is denied.

Note: The WCTA offers all publications in alternate formats for people with disabilities. To request an alternate format, please call GO Westmoreland at 1-800-242-2706.

​

Travel Guidelines

Service is provided from origins and destinations within 3/4 mile corridors of existing bus routes during the same times of operation. Most communities have Monday through Friday service, from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Saturday service is limited, from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Trips can be taken for any purpose.

You must be ready for pick-up 15 minutes before or after the scheduled time. Please allow for this time range when you schedule your trip. Drivers will only wait 5 minutes within the ½ hour window.​

Scheduling a Trip

Voicemail messaging is available on Saturday and Sunday for Monday trips only,however we suggest you call during regular business hours to confirm that your trip(s) has been scheduled.

​You can call up to two weeks in advance to arrange a ride. The latest that you can call to arrange a ride for the next day is at least one day in advance before 4:00 PM.

The reservationist will give you a ½ hour pick-up window. Please be ready and waiting for the vehicle.​

The reservationist will inform the rider of the fare required for the trip when arrangements are being made.​

The cost of the trip cannot be billed. You must pay cash to your driver on the day of the trip. Exact change is required.​

Cancellation / No Show Policy

GO Westmoreland’s definition of a “no-show” is any time a driver goes to pick up a rider and he/she decides not to use the service or is not at the pick-up site and has not called in to cancel his/her trips at least one (1) hour before the scheduled pick-up time.

Cancellations must be made within the required time frame. In order to avoid a no-show, the rider must cancel their ride at least one hour prior to their scheduled pick-up time.​

Riders who fail to cancel their trips will be subject to subscription cancellations.

Fares

Due to the special nature of this service,the fare is typically twice the amount of the current Westmoreland Transit fixed route bus.

Fares are based on one-way trips and range from $4.00 to $12.00​

​Participants are encouraged to bring the exact fare when they ride.

The cost of the trip cannot be billed. Riders must pay cash on the day of the trip.​

Information Needed to Schedule a Trip

Your name as it appears on your application.

The day and time you would like to travel.

The estimated duration at destination.

The exact street address for the trip you are requesting.

Notes about special entrances to your building.

Any change of address or phone number.

Any special vehicle requirements..

To assist all passengers to get to their appointments in a timely fashion, we ask that passengers be ready to board the vehicle when GO Westmoreland arrives.Once the vehicle arrives within the pick-up window at the scheduled location, drivers will only wait 5 minutes until they depart.

Filing an ADA Complaint

It is the policy of the Westmoreland County Transit Authority (WCTA) / GO Westmoreland to operate transportation services in an open and fair manner. During the normal course of providing transportation services to the community, it is possible that some members of the public or a passenger will wish to lodge a complaint about the quality of service offered or the manner in which service isdelivered. Every effort will be made to handle these issues quickly, courteously and fairly.

I. No person will be discriminated against or suffer any reprisals from making a complaint.

II. Complaints can be either verbal or in writing. They should identify the name of theperson filing it (the complainant) as well as the complainant’s address, telephone number, and location, date, and a brief description of the alleged violation of the regulations under Title II of the ADA.

III. A complaint should be file within ten (10) business days after the complainantbecomes aware of the alleged violation.

a. ADA complainants may contact the WCTA by one of the following options listed below.

i. Option 1: By US Mail:

GO Westmoreland

Attn: Customer Service Manager

41 Bell Way

Greensburg, PA 15601

ii. Option 2: Complaint Line

GO Westmoreland 1-800-242-2706

iii. Option 3: Online

www.westmorelandtransit.com

IV. When an allegation is made that a specific violation, misinterpretation, orinappropriate act has occurred the following steps should be taken to resolve theissue:

a. All complaints will be received by the Customer Service Manager. The complaints will be logged in a database.

b. Once the complaint is logged, the complaint is forwarded by the next business day to the appropriate supervisor and contractor to begin investigation.

c. Contractor shall provide a written response to complaints received to WCTA within24 hours of receiving the complaint. All steps and items are documented, including when and by whom, the result of the investigation and required action. Each valid complaint is coded according to both the outcome (late arrival) and the cause (dispatching error) to identify the specific reasons for poor service and identify remedies. Contractor’s response shall include action(s) taken, if any, to address any problem or complaint. If any serious matters are reported to WCTA, the WCTA may require that the operator or operators in question be removed by Contractor from operating routes of the WCTA.

d. Any ADA complaints received are reported to the Board of Directors during the monthly meetings.

e. The complainant or his/her designee will receive a response within ten (10) business days of receipt of the complaints. The complainant will receive details of the investigation and if necessary, the appropriate actions taken to remedy the situation.

V. Documentation of complaint information will be kept on file electronically at WCTA by the Customer Service Manager. Complaint documentation must be retained for one (1) year; complaint summaries for five (5) years.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Reasonable Modifications Policy

​GO Westmoreland will make reasonable modifications to its policies, practices, or procedures when requested to do so by individuals with disabilities when such accommodations are necessary to avoid discrimination based on disability. To learn more, click on the pdf download below.

View and Download ADA Reasonable Modifications Policy

ADA Visitor Policy

Individuals who live outside of GO Westmoreland’s service area may apply for visitor status to use GO Westmoreland while in the area. Visitors will be provided with up to 21 days of ADA paratransit service in a 1 year time frame. Visitors are asked to contact GO to obtain a temporary eligibility prior to scheduling a reservation. To learn more, click on the pdf download below.

View and Download ADA Visitor Policy

All information is available in print (large print if requested), over the telephone, audio (on CD if requested), Braille (as requested), and online at www.westmorelandtransit.com.